


A New Escort Mission!!

by MaddiKitten



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Badass Kakashi, Danger, F/M, Humor, Original Character(s), Sasuke and Naruto tagteam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-14 17:35:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7183586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddiKitten/pseuds/MaddiKitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sasuke flashbacks to his past when he and the rest of team 7 escort a girl named Kanata Haruka and her cargo to a nearby town. Things go wrong and the gang must protect Kanata at all costs, but they fail in doing so.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Repay the Gesture from the Past!!

Sasuke walked with Suigetsu at the time. The two had just retrieved the sword of Zabuza for Suigetsu as he smiled while sipping his water. Sasuke started to egg Suigetsu into walking faster but caught a glimpse off a shinobi with a group not too far behind him carrying a young girl. Upon getting a semi-decent look at her, he grew curious.

"Suigetsu... You stay put. I'm going to go check something." Sasuke commanded. 

"Hm? Like what? Is someone following us?" Suigetsu asked, but glad that they were taking a break.

Sasuke looked back at him, "It's nothing that concerns you." Sasuke insisted as Suigetsu had a question mark appear beside his head, his expression dumbfounded and clueless.

Sasuke turned to the forested area and used his Sharingan upon entering to keep an eye out for the shinobi. He searches and comes across a hideout where he got a closer look at their captive and was surprised under his expressionless demeanor.

".... It's that girl." He begins to remember her, his most notable memory on that day he, Naruto, and Sakura as team 7 escorted her to a nearby town to drop off her goods... The flashback became apparent in his mind as he watched them carefully. 

 

\----  
Kanata opened up shop for the day and frowned, disliking the fact that she was alone, but she was happy her mission was getting handled today. However, she was unaware of how lively the bunch would be, or that someone she met would be meeting her face to face once more. 

That morning, Kanata heard a faint conversation between several individuals before they soon burst through the door in which she was frightened and had to keep a bottle of perfume from falling off the counter before she crouched onto the floor, "Naruto Uzumaki here to help! Where's the client?!" an orange-jumpsuited shinobi shouted exuberantly as Kanata had hidden behind the desk. Sakura decided to walk over and check to be sure she was there. 

The kunoichi in pink sighed after she locked eyes with Kanata. She put her hand to one side of her mouth to echo her voice as she leaned back up and faced the others, "She's down here! You bozo, you scared her half to death! Apologize!" Sakura demanded as she glared at him making him afraid of getting one punched into oblivion. Naruto looked surprised before he smiled nervously and a drop of sweat trickled down his face. She peeked from behind the desk and saw Naruto suddenly right in front of her, meeting her golden eyes with his pool blue hues as she looked confused and found herself reaching for his hand as he helped her up. 

Sakura gently brushed off her skirt as Naruto talked, "S-sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to scare you. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, dattebayo~. What's your name?" He questioned curiously with a bright and sweet face yet a wide goofy grin almost from ear to ear as he closed his eyes and placed his arms behind his head. He leaned back slightly as Sasuke seemed distracted—and more zoned in on the client than usual. The young lady stayed quiet and looked away from them, both Naruto and Sakura confused when she silently refused to answer while Sasuke closed his eyes and pocketed his hands. Admittedly, it was interesting seeing what her profession was after only catching glimpses of her every now and again when she would bring him food once or twice a month. He caught himself glancing up and down at her, taking in the sight of what she looked like now as a young lady. She'd grown, but had the same face as before and her piercing golden eyes caught his attention as they were abnormal. He'd only ever seen them shining in the dark from far away in the moonlight when she'd stop and look back at him at times before going home. Not just Sasuke noticed, though, Naruto and Sakura were mesmerized by her eye color as Naruto got close enough to inspect her face. She leaned back and turned her face away in embarrassment, "Please stop..." She pleaded. Naruto apologized again as he caught himself invading her space before she attempted to calm down.

Kanata sighed softly in order to calm her rapidly beating heart as she placed the perfume back on the counter and looked at all three of them. They grouped together before she was startled by Kakashi walking in a second later, "Oops. Pardon me, miss." He held up his right hand, his other hand in his pocket, "I didn't mean to startle you." He smiled behind his mask with his visible eye closed. She was curious as to why he wore a mask upon him putting his hand down. What was behind it—and most of all the tilted headband racked her brain as she wanted to know what it was concealing or if he was just blind in one eye. She gazed at him in awe before Sasuke gently picked up an unbroken perfume bottle that had dropped on a towel. He noticed he caught the same scent from it from her as well and remembered that scent in the past. Sasuke looked her in the eyes as she calmly glanced towards him before eyeing Kakashi.

"Miss Haruka is it? What would your first name be?" Kakashi asked politely before blinking with confusion when she simply went over to the 20 large empty boxes and hundreds of smaller boxes that the perfume bottles needed to be placed in, tied, and stickered with the store label—"Shizuka Perfume Shop". Kakashi sighed softly, "I see, you don't seem like the talkative type, but at least give us and idea of what to do. Does it have to do with those boxes?" He questioned with his hands in his pockets as the others gazed at the number of them. Naruto and Sasuke were already glaring at each other and whispered to one another, "I'm gonna fill more boxes faster than you..." Naruto began.

"Not if I'm faster, loser," Sasuke rebutted back in a yelling whisper.

Sakura whispered back to the boys, "Shhhh... Listen..." They stared at Sakura before looking at Kanata as she presented them with evenly split numbers of boxes. 20 divided by 4 people left them with 5 boxes each. It seemed simple enough.

"I..." She began softly, "Um... I would like these smaller boxes filled with a single perfume bottle each and then 20 each placed into each of these larger ones. While you four do that, please be very careful..." She spoke softly as they could just hear her before she headed into the house, "I'll make us all lunch for the road..." 

Naruto heard that and his ears perked as he rubbed his stomach, "Aw yeah, we get food, too!" He drooled slightly, "And for free-ttebayo~!" He jumped up before Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Be careful or you'll knock something over and I'll end up having to pay for it..." Kakashi looked annoyed as Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

"Eheheh, right... Sorry." He eyed the perfume bottles, "So there are 20 large boxes and 20 small boxes go into each box?" He questioned.

"Well, that's what she said... ," Sasuke rebutted agitatedly.

Sakura calculated it in her head, "20 boxes times 4 people means we're carrying 5 large boxes each. No more no less or you guys might drop and break all of them competing with each other..." Sakura glared at them both while Naruto and Sasuke were already ready to outdo each other while packing, "STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHO'S FASTER AND JUST DO THE WORK!" She balled her fists, "If you drop any of them I'm going to punch you so hard, Naruto!"

"Eh?! What about if Sasuke drops em', 'ttebayo?!" He growled, "He should get punished, too!"

Sakura sighed, "Unlike you, Sasuke has more balance and talent than you, so that won't happen..." Naruto hung his head low.

"Ouch, geez, Sakura. Give me some credit..." Naruto looked back at the boxes and started getting to work, thinking that if he broke any of them it would upset not just Sakura, but Kanata so he decided to not compete with Sasuke and instead was the slowest to pack them as he was extra careful with every bottle as to not break one.

Sakura blinked, "You're being awfully careful... Well, so long as you don't break anything." She shrugged and started helping Sasuke with his.

"Sakura, I can do this by myself..." Sasuke insisted annoyed-ly.

"O-okay, sorry..." Sakura started carrying her boxes to the horse and buggy out front that they saw upon arriving.

Once Sasuke was done and put his boxes on the cart, he began to grow curious while Naruto continued to be extra careful. 

"Now you're going TOO slow, you idiot. Here, move and let me do it." Sakura insisted agitatedly as she gently pushed him aside. Once Naruto's boxes were packed they just had to wait for the food. Naruto noticed Sasuke was gone.

"Eh? Where's Sasuke?" He looked around.

"He went to go help the young lady in the kitchen," Kakashi replied.

"Hm?" Naruto wondered why Sasuke would be so helpful all of a sudden before shrugging and going inside. He was dumbfounded seeing her stringing ramen noodles and packing them in small bowls with wrapping over them to trap the heat and prevent it from spilling. She then took a pair of chopsticks and offered to feed Sasuke a garlic roasted cherry tomato as he blinked and stared at it dripping with juices from her cooking it.

"You... want me to taste it?" Sasuke looked back up at her as she smiled and nodded, "I guess it won't hurt..." He opened wide as she put it in his mouth. He started to chew and soon swallowed after chewing it thoroughly and his eyes somewhat lit up, "That stuff's pretty good." He admitted.

"Can I taste the ramen miss, Haruka? PLEAAAAASE? Dattebayo!" Naruto begged with her giggling softly and shook her head.

"Wait till lunch time, please." She insisted as he sighed.

"Aww, fine..." He groaned.

Once she had the food packed, she got onto the front of the buggy with Sakura as Naruto and Sasuke sat in the back with the perfume to make sure nothing broke with Kakashi traveling behind the cart to watch for suspicious activity. She guided the horses and lead them with the reigns as the began their travel.

The day seemed clear and sunny, but little were they expecting what was to come next.

"Miss Kirako, I've spotted them... They arrived just as you expected." A subordinate whispered to her. They were both off in the distance after he had inspected them from the forest nearby where the trail was headed for the group.

"Mm, delightful. I'll have my hand on a year supply of their famous perfume in no time. Heheheh. Good job, Giriko." She smirked with her arms folded over her chest, leaning on one leg with the other slightly positioned outwards which expressed her cockiness, "Very good job~." She laughed evilly out of earshot before her subordinate called in for backup, who slowly approached from the bushes not too far away, "Today is our lucky day boys. No mistakes understood...?"

They saluted to her, "Yes ma'am!"

She smirked again as the sun began to set for the afternoon position in the sky, the group weak to an ambush as they ventured into the deep Forest of Quiet Movement.


	2. Part 2: A Sacrifice for an Old Friend!!

Once it was the darkest it could be in the forest that noon, the group had settled down to eat the meals Kanata had prepared. Naruto immediately took his bowl of ramen and ripped off the cover, taking his chopsticks and digging into it ruthlessly as he slurped happily and actually enjoyed the taste.

"Oh man, this is almost as good as Ichiraku's~" He drooled and kept eating before he paused to ask a question, "Hey Sakura, do you want your ramen?" Naruto poked her with the chopsticks before he had finished his.

"Yeah, I do. Buzz off." She started eating hers as Sasuke sighed and handed Naruto his ramen.

"Here, Naruto. Have mine, but give me your tomatoes." Sasuke insisted.

Naruto blinked and looked grossed out by the sight of vegetables, giving all of the tomatoes to Sasuke without a problem, "Eh, here. I hate veggies."

Kakashi butted in, "Tomatoes are fruit Naruto... Not vegetables." He insisted with a rather know-it-all tone in slight agitation.

"Yeah, yeah I still don't like em-ttebayo!" He huffed before eating the dumplings and the rice, along with his second bowl of ramen, "Mmm, it's all so good~" Naruto finally finished and pat his stomach, "Ahh, that hit the spot..." He closed his eyes while laying on the ground before he heard something rustle, Naruto jolted up as Sasuke immediately stopping to see what it was; everyone on their feet including Kanata. 

Kakashi was already aware and stood up, "Who's there? Show yourselves." He pulls out a kunai as Kanata was afraid. Sakura smiled gently and stayed with her.

"It's going to be okay, just stay with me..." Sakura took out a kunai as well while Sasuke took out his demon wind shuriken and Naruto had out his kunai, too.

"Yeah, come out and fight us ya, cowards! 'Ttebayo, we'll kick your butt!" he growls as the group hidden within the foliage jumped them. Naruto used his shadow clones and took the enemies by surprise as Sasuke and Kakashi took out the one that was left with Kanata shaking in fear as she knew the group. Something wasn't right.

The individuals disappeared as they turned out to be shadow clones, "No way, just clones?!" Sakura looked worried. Sakura suddenly gasped, seeing an attack aimed towards Sasuke, "Sasuke, watch out!!!" Sakura questioned the situation seeing Kanata bolt forward and tried to grab her hand, "Wait!!!" Kanata pushed Sasuke to the side, getting stabbed in the gut with brass knuckles the Kunoichi carried as she then pulled them out and grew unpleased upon Kanata hitting the ground bleeding and gasping in pain.

"Little brat, I wanted to leave you out of this... Boys, give her medical attention, now! We need her alive!" She demanded as the men took a hold of Kanata while Sasuke and Kakashi got ready to fight the woman.

"Kirako Mikasa, the Benevolent Bandit, and with a bounty placed on your head by nearly every land imaginable... Everyone's been looking all over for you, it must be my lucky day." Kakashi stated in a snarky tone as he knew he'd need his Sharingan to outdo her. Sasuke followed behind and activated his two-pronged Sharingan, two tomoe spinning into place as he reopened his eyes and glared.

"She got hurt for my sake... Why would she do something like that?! We were supposed to be protecting her!" He grew agitated and glanced off to the side at the lackeys who were healing her. This gave each of them a sense of relief, but also a sense of danger as they would be focused on them along with their leader after they were finished healing her. This whole fight had to be finished quickly, "Naruto... I got an idea. We're going to do that again. Okay?" Sasuke glared. He held his demon wind shuriken firmly and pulled his arm back. Naruto noticed and smirked.

"Right! I got this!" Naruto quickly used a hand sign before he kicked up dust in the woman's eyes. She jumped back with annoyance and rubbed them. 

"What a petty move, but what should I really expect from a pathetic group of genin like you three? What?!" Upon regaining her sight she was dumbfounded upon seeing that Sasuke was already in the air and released the shuriken. It spun towards her with Kakashi charging up his lightning blade off to the side hidden in the trees where he wouldn't be disturbed or spotted.

The lackeys finally finished healing Kanata as Sasuke looked at her before smirking upon Kirako dodging the demon wind shuriken. She gasped and grunted, being uppercut by Naruto's left hook. He had taken the time to tunnel underground for an unseen advantage. With a thud, she landed on her side before growling and getting angry. She propped herself up and glared.

"That's the last time that's going to happen, you hear me? Because now, I'm furious!!!" She stood and quickly used several hand signs. "Fire release, dragon flame bombs!" Kirako breathed in and then out steadily through her cupped hand. Giant bombs of pure fire raced towards the boys. Naruto glared and jumped with Sasuke gripping Naruto's hand knowing Naruto would tug him out of the way. Soon Naruto swung Sasuke in Kirako's direction. He spun and slammed his leg against her awaiting arm.

"Lion's Barrage!!!" He exclaimed but she'd already known to block and pushed Sasuke away. Sasuke landed with Naruto rushing in next, suddenly being decked in the chest with Kirako's knuckles and sent flying, bleeding slightly from the scrapes on his chest and rips in his jacket.

"Dammit... She's not playing around. What does she want anyway?!" Naruto growled.

"My guess is the perfume. It's known to sell higher in places outside of Konoha." Sakura explained, afraid to move because she'd just get in the way. Sasuke took a deep breath glancing at Kanata and calmed himself down.

"Gah! We're never going to get close to her, so what do we do now...?!" Naruto exclaimed.

Upon hearing the chirping of Kakashi's lightning blade, all lifted their heads in surprise. Kirako looked behind her with Kakashi coming close to hitting her but she just managed to avoid it and flipped behind him. She kicked Kakashi heavily in the back with her heel with intentions on doing damage to his spine.

"Gah!" Kakashi heard a small crunch as he caught his balance and got away with just a little scratch compared to what she was aiming to do. Kakashi faced towards her after getting up as Kanata stood up being guarded by the men who decided she would be fine on her own with only one bodyguard needed. The rest surrounded the boys. Naruto and Sasuke stepped towards each other and stood back to back with Sasuke's demon wind shuriken being retrieved by Naruto beforehand. Naruto then conjured up a group of 12 clones.

"You got your side, I got mine. Right?" Naruto smirked.

"Yeah, just don't fall behind, loser," Sasuke smirked as well as the two yelled and pushed off towards their targets.

From the fighting skills of both young men, the guards were taken down by the two of them with Naruto and Sasuke placing one foot on the pile of lackeys and high-fived each other.

"All right!" Naruto was excited but soon remembered about Kakashi and Kirako, his wound already healed by the nine-tailed fox. Kakashi strained a little. The woman politely stood aside waiting to see what the boys would do before returning her focus to the Jonin in front of her. She grunted. She coughed and realized she was bleeding as her side had been injured by Kakashi's lightning blade, after all, gripping it and panting heavily. 

"Dammit... I thought I moved quick enough." She growled bearing her teeth, "I'll retreat for now..." She jumped into the forest and fled. Kanata gently holding her healed wound as the pain was still there and looked at the boys before they ran to her alongside Sakura. 

"Thank goodness, you're alright!" Sakura proclaimed, "I'm glad they wanted you alive... or else we might've lost you. Don't be so reckless. We were ordered to protect you!" Sakura proclaimed worriedly.

"She's alive, that's all that matters." Sasuke insisted calmly while Naruto gently gripped her hand and caught her alongside Sasuke as she fell, still in pain.

"Don't worry, we gotcha-ttebayo," Naruto smiled with Kanata looking at the ground, her eyes out of focus and glazed over in pain. The boys looked worriedly at each other.

Kakashi hid his Sharingan once again and gently helped Naruto and Sasuke get Kanata onto the wagon while Sakura had the boys look away. She removed Kanata's top and bandaged her wounded area in case the bleeding started up again in which the bandages would help it clot before placing her shirt back on her. 

"The healing Kirako's lackeys had done had only managed to accomplish so much but it was, overall, a shotty job," Sakura explained. All were silent while Kakashi took hold of the reigns and led the buggy to the nearby town. Kanata began to grow tired, sitting next to Sasuke with Naruto in the back with the perfume. She closed her eyes, leaning against Sasuke and catching him off guard. He looked confused and blushed ever so slightly.

"She must be tired," Naruto thought aloud while Sakura was a bit iffy about another girl holding onto Sasuke but faked a smile anyway.

Sasuke sighed and reluctantly put his arm around her to keep her warm as he at least owed her that much for protecting him. He realized he wouldn't have been able to catch it in time with his Sharingan not up to three prongs as it wasn't consistent enough yet. She had saved his life. Kanata wearily looked up at him.

"Are you okay...?" She asked softly as he looked at her before looking away.

"Yeah... Thanks." He muttered. Sakura's blood was boiling, but she remembered that Kanata did save Sasuke, so maybe it wasn't something to get mad over. At least this one time anyway. 

Once the group arrived at their rendezvous, they helped unpack the perfume and got it into the store with Sasuke carefully moving her so she wouldn't wake up until he got back. Afterward, Sasuke continued to keep her company and found himself growing tired as well as it reached into the night on their journey home. Sasuke and the others, except Kakashi who led the buggy home, dozed off as Sasuke awoke to Kanata being taken from his arm by Kakashi and inside the hospital. He watched and felt less comforted now that he couldn't monitor her to make sure she was still breathing. Naruto and Sakura soon woke up from feeling the buggy stop and watched her being taken into the emergency room where Kakashi would get his spine checked as well.

"I hope she's going to be okay." Naruto wondered.

".... Yeah." Sasuke added.

"She'll be fine, her wounds weren't that bad," Sakura replied.

They all waited to hear the news after going inside with Kakashi, seeing him shirtless and wrapped up from where his spine was fractured. He put on his shirt and jacket, taking the buggy back to the Shizuka household for her parents to see as they had gotten back earlier that day before the group did. The Jonin informed them of what Kanata had done and the two parents became worried, though Kakashi insisted she would be fine and that she was getting medical care as they speak.

"Oh, Ako*... My poor baby!" Her mother held onto Kanata's father as Kakashi rubbed the back of his head gently, "May we go see her?" She asked.

Side note: Ako means "my child".

"She's your daughter, I don't see why not, miss Haruka... but I would just wait for her here," Kakashi looked at Kanata's father who smiled graciously with some concern.

"It's just like Kana to go off and get herself hurt for the sake of others... Bring her back soon, please." Kakashi nodded to Kanata's father.

"Will do. My group of genin have been taking good care of her." Kakashi insisted. Kanata's parents smiled and closed the door.

Back at the infirmary, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were waiting in the hall hoping she was going to be okay as the doctor soon came out and smiled, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"She's going to be just fine, but she'll have more scars than she does now, sadly.." The doctor proclaimed.

"More scars..?" Sakura questioned with curiosity and concern.

"Yes, she has many abrasions; claw marks and bite marks from a dog mauling I treated her for a long time ago, but it's not my business to tell the details so please, leave it be for her sake as it might strike some trauma into her as well if you ask her about it. So just let her be. In other words, she's fine and healthy." The doctor smiled as Kanata was put into a hospital bedroom where they could visit before her release. 

Upon being released to go home, Kanata hugged Sasuke tightly alongside Naruto and Sakura, "Thank you... Be safe." She insisted softly as the boys blushed with Sasuke pouting and Naruto gently rubbing the side of his face with his index finger. Sakura smiled happily.

"Eheheheh, it was no big deal. Dattebayo~," Naruto proclaimed.

"Hmph..." Added Sasuke with a slight grin.

Upon letting go Sasuke and Kanata met eyes as his face became focused before she smiled and got another hug from a worried Sakura, "Be careful, okay?" Sakura urged.

"Right..." Kanata replied and went back inside with her parents.

\---

Sasuke retrieved his thoughts as the flashback faded. He continued to watch the kidnappers and took a good long look at Kanata's face. He decided he would repay the favor. After waiting for the right moment, he ambushed them.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?!" One of them exclaimed and didn't even have the chance to draw his sword just as Sasuke struck him in the back of the neck with the back of his blade to knock him out. He did the same to the rest of them in a matter of seconds.

"Hmph..." Sasuke sheathed his Kusanagi and walked over to Kanata. He picked her up. Suigetsu had gotten curious and approached before staring at the girl.

"Who's she?" Suigetsu seemed confused, "Whoever she is, she's kinda cute when she's sleeping~." He smirked.

Sasuke glanced at Suigetsu before continuing to walk, "Someone I used to know... I owe her for something she did a long time ago." Being all that Sasuke replied with as Suigetsu smirked.

"Is she your old lover, Sasuke?" Suigetsu teased.

"Hmph," Sasuke responded, "Leave it Suigetsu." He insisted.

"C'mon..." Suigetsu rebutted.

"...." Sasuke glared.

"Alright alright!" He lifted is arms, "I'll leave it... lover boy~" he added with a toothy grin.

"Tch..." Sasuke brushed it off before putting her down in Konoha territory where she could be found as her team was headed that way, "Let's get going..."

"Riiight." Suigetsu chuckled as the two left. Her team found her after the two were out of sight.

"Thank you..." Those words he knew from back then. It echoed in his head as the last thing he knew she would say, knowing he'd probably never see her again...


End file.
